McCrory names acting SBI director

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By Matthew Burns

Raleigh, N.C. — Hours after signing the state budget that gave him more control over the State Bureau of Investigation, Gov. Pat McCrory on Thursday named a veteran SBI agent acting director of the agency.

B.W. Collier II will be sworn in on Monday, succeeding Greg McLeod, who has headed the SBI for four years.

Collier, who has headed the state Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement for the past year, previously spent 26 years with the SBI, working as a drug investigator, arson and crime scene agent, canine handler, technical agent, bomb squad commander and director of the unit that deals with criminal information and intelligence gathering, according to McCrory's office.

"B.W. Collier’s distinguished law enforcement background and leadership skills make him the ideal candidate to lead this elite agency,” McCrory said in a statement. "Collier’s 26 years as a SBI agent, coupled with his experience at Alcohol Law Enforcement, give me complete confidence in his abilities to carry out the SBI’s mission.”

A provision in the state budget shifted the SBI from the Department of Justice, which is headed by Attorney General Roy Cooper, to the Department of Public Safety, which is a cabinet agency in McCrory's administration. Along with that move, lawmakers established a new system for naming the SBI director, requiring legislative approval of a gubernatorial nominee, who would then serve an eight-year term.

McLeod isn't moving to a new position at the SBI, the Department of Public Safety or the Department of Justice, officials said.

He assumed command of the SBI following an outside investigation that determined analysts in the State Crime Lab had omitted, overstated or falsely reported blood evidence in scores of criminal cases between 1987 and 2003, including three that ended in executions. He changed policies and procedures at the crime lab, which has since passed outside audits and been accredited.

disgusted2010Aug 13, 2014

View quoted thread

"... Directors who might have been called upon to investigate wrong-doings in the Attorney General's office..."

ssi Aug 11, 12:41 p.m.

Actually you are completely wrong... the SBI does not investigate wrongdoings by the AGs office. That falls directly to the FBI (for criminal matters) and the NC BAR (for civil legal errors), the SBI does investigate any potential violations of NC law by the Governor and/or his cabinet, and also is responsible for calling in the FBI if they see potential violations of federal law by the administration - now do you see the difference?

This all falls back to the GOP's dislike for "job killing regulations" - like regulations and laws against robbery, mineral rights, breach of contract, conflict of interest (which they have already legislated their way around for the benefit of themselves and special rich folk donors) and now they've legalized obstruction of justice!

— Posted by Eric Hammond

TOTALLY INCORRECT,

Eric HammondAug 11, 2014

"... Directors who might have been called upon to investigate wrong-doings in the Attorney General's office..."

ssi Aug 11, 12:41 p.m.

Actually you are completely wrong... the SBI does not investigate wrongdoings by the AGs office. That falls directly to the FBI (for criminal matters) and the NC BAR (for civil legal errors), the SBI does investigate any potential violations of NC law by the Governor and/or his cabinet, and also is responsible for calling in the FBI if they see potential violations of federal law by the administration - now do you see the difference?

This all falls back to the GOP's dislike for "job killing regulations" - like regulations and laws against robbery, mineral rights, breach of contract, conflict of interest (which they have already legislated their way around for the benefit of themselves and special rich folk donors) and now they've legalized obstruction of justice!

disgusted2010Aug 11, 2014

I don't like Cooper and think he has done NOTHING for law enforcement generally and the SBI in particular. He is the most political AG we have had in a long time BUT:

Read the recently passed budget. Not only is the SBI put under the Governor, the statute which since the creation of the SBI in 1935 has said the SBI "SHALL" investigate allegations referred to them now says"MAY."

SO the governor now can tell the SBI head to exercise his/her discretion, given by the changes in statute, and NOT INVESTIGATE allegations of criminal acts referred for investigation.

Anita WoodyAug 11, 2014

Makes it harder for law enforcement to investigate the governor and his cronies when he/she too falls under the auspices of the governor.

ssiAug 11, 2014

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"best thing that could ever happen to this agency..." gmht1989

Sure, fantastic... put a political appointee in charge of investigating any possible wrong - doings by the very man who appointed him.... wonderful! ever heard the old expression "fox guarding the hen house"? good old fashioned country common sense tells you this is a horrible idea!

— Posted by Eric Hammond

You do realize that the Attorney General is also a politician. And therefore all previous directors of the SBI have been political appointees who answered to the person who appointed them. Directors who might have been called upon to investigate wrong-doings in the Attorney General's office. Why is this all of a sudden an issue? Under whom would you place the SBI? Where in state government could the Bureau be placed that is ultimately not under the office of a politician or another political appointee?

JayLAug 10, 2014

GMHT1989, a political figurehead is still in charge of the agency. It's the governor, who is also in charge of the NCSHP and ALE. SBI was the one independant agency called on to investigate officer involved shootings involving all other agencies within NC. Now, with the SBI under the same umbrella, how is it going to look when they are called to investigate an officer involved shooting involving the other two agencies also controled by their boss? People always scream and yell about the "good ol' boys" involved in law enforcement and politics. The governor and legislator have thrown all the checks and balances of law enforcement at the state level out the window and given all the state law enforcement power to the governor. Tell me how citizens are suppose to expect the SBI to conducted a fair investigation of NCSHP, ALE or the governor himself when they all answer to him? Under the AG there was atleast a chance of a fair investigation. "Good ol' boys" working at its best.

Eric HammondAug 9, 2014

"best thing that could ever happen to this agency..." gmht1989

Sure, fantastic... put a political appointee in charge of investigating any possible wrong - doings by the very man who appointed him.... wonderful! ever heard the old expression "fox guarding the hen house"? good old fashioned country common sense tells you this is a horrible idea!

disgusted2010Aug 8, 2014

View quoted thread

best thing that could ever happen to this agency. getting them out from under attorney general and having a real lawman in charge instead of a political figurehead lawyer.

— Posted by gmht1989

Would have been better if they put a professional in the job not a person who got the job due to his political contacts.

gmht1989Aug 8, 2014

best thing that could ever happen to this agency. getting them out from under attorney general and having a real lawman in charge instead of a political figurehead lawyer.